Box closure



S. C. HUFFMAN BOX CLOSURE Jan. 1, 1929. 1,697,360

Filed March 17, 1927 Patented Jan. 1, 1929.

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iterate at g a BOX CLOSURE.

Application filed March 17, 1927. Serial No. 176,117.

My invention relates to box closures and its object is the provision ofa closure of extreme simplicity for automatically latching the lid whenthe lid is closed, the device being it so constructed that it entirelycovers the seam in the lid to exclude dust and vermin fro-m the box andthe latch being so constructed that it is easily operable when openingthe box. A further object of my invention is to provide a closure which.reinforces and strengthens the box.

Having in view these objects and others which will be pointed out in thefollowing description, I will now refer to the drawings,

in which Figure 1 is a view in perspective of the box having my closurethereon.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing one end of theclosure and showing the latching members at one end of the box.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view through a portion of the lid ofthe box.

Figure 4 is a transverse. sectional view through a portion of the boxshowing my latching device secured thereto and showing the lid inslightly spaced relation to the box.

Figure 5 is a view in perspective of a modified form of the latchingdevice.

The box itself is preferably made from fiber board or car-board ofsuitable weight slitting and by folding the various parts to gether soas to form a box having a rectangular base. The lid is preferably formedby slitting the material of the box at the corners .so as to provide twoend flaps 10 and two side flaps 11 and 11". In the closing of the boxthe end flaps 10 are first folded down and then the side flaps 11 and 11are folded down in succession over the end flaps 10. Thus far the box isvery effective for ,the storage of papers or other articles but an openseam is left between the inner edges of the side flaps 11 and 11.\Vithout a suitable latching device the side flaps 11 and 11 would tendto be forced up toward their open position. My closure and latchingdevice are designed for completely closing the seam between the inneredges of the flaps 11 and 11 closed positions.

The reinforcing strip at 12 for closing the and for firmly latchingthese flaps in their be fitted over theedge of the flap 11. It issecured tothe flap 11 by means of rivets 13 or the like and when it isthus secured, the edge portion of the flap 11 is compressed as shown inFigure '3 so as to make the upper surface of the strip 12 continuouswith the upper surface of the flap 11 The strip 12 is preferably madefrom any suitable sheet metal such as sheet steel of lightgauge. Itsfree edge is offset as shown in Figure 3 so that it will fold down overthe free edge of the flapl'l in'such away that its upper surface will bepractically continuous with the upper surface of the flap 11 By thusfolding the strip 12 at its free edge I avoid all cut and rough edgeswhich might cause trouble in the use of the box. The only cut edges inthe strip 12 are embedded in the material of the flap 11. v

The strip 12 is preferably made from a material which is more or lessresilient. The end portions of the strip are bent downwardly andoutwardly so as to form tongues 14 as best shown in Figure 4. Thesetongues have hooked ends which are directed outwardly and slightlyupwardly. On the box itself and in line with the tongues 14 I secureresilient devices for engaging the hooks on the ends of the tongues 14.As best shown in Figure 4 the engaging device consists of a plate 15 ofresilient metal which is dou- I,

bled upon itself at its lower edge and'which is secured to the box bymeans of rivets 16; the arrangement being such that the upper endportions of the engaging device are diverging. The inner member of theengaging device is slightly inturned at its upper edge so that the upperedge portion becomes embedded in the material of the box. The upper endportion of the outer member of the engaging device 15 is slitted at 16so as to leave a catch 17 projecting inwardly and in the path of thehooked end on the tongue 14 when the flap 11 is being closed. It isevident, of course, that the engaging device may be formed from twoindividual sheetmetal members instead of one which is folded upon itselfas shown in my drawings. The inner member of the engaging device isdesigned to prevent undue wear'on the end of the box and it is obviousthat when the box is formed from a material which will resist wear fromabrasion, the inner member of the engaging device may be omittedaltogether. In fact, the parts may be so adjusted that the tongue 14 Ian aperture 16f instead of a slit;

Willbe out ofall cont-act with the material at the end of the box, inwhich case the innermember of the engaging device may be omitted evenwhen the box is made of cardboard.

It is obvious that the invention as described is susceptible of manyvariations and modifications. Merely by way of illustration I have shownoneofthesemodified forms in Figure 5. In this instance the strap 12 isprovided with depending ears 14 having outwardly projecting buttons 20.Theengaging device 15 is similar to and almost identical wlth theengaging device 15, the

r :such full, clear, and exact terms thatits con- :struetiona-ndoperation will be readily understoodby others skilled in the art towhich it part of the lid so as to project over the other of the parts ofthe lid to thereby cover the narrow slit between the meeting edges ofthe parts of the lid, members depending from said strap at the outerextremities thereof,

said members being outturned at their lower extremities, and resilientmembers secured to said boxand having their upper edge portions spacedfrom the walls ofsaid box, said resilient members being provided withnarrow inwardly projecting lips for engaging the ,outturned portions ofsaid depending members on said strap whensaidlid is moved to closingposition. i

- In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

SAMUEL "o. HUE-FMAN.

